Cabinet approves 7% DA hike for Central government employees

The Union Cabinet gave its approval on Thursday for the release of a 7 per cent additional instalment of Dearness Allowance (DA) to Central Government employees. It also approved Dearness Relief (DR) for pensioners. Both DA and DR will become effective from July 1, 2014.

This is an increase of 7 per cent over the existing rate of 100 percent of the Basic Pay/Pension to compensate for price rise, said an official release issued on Thursday.

The increase is in accordance with an accepted formula based on the recommendations of the 6th Central Pay Commission.

The combined impact on the exchequer in the financial year 2014-2015 (for eight-months period starting July 2014 till February 2015) on account of the DA would be of the order of approximately Rs. 7,691 crore per annum and that of the DR would be Rs. 5,127 crore.

The Cabinet also approved the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India Bangladesh for co-operation in the field of traditional systems of medicine and homoeopathy.

The signing of the proposed MoU will enhance bilateral cooperation between the two countries in the areas of traditional medicine and homoeopathy the release stated adding that this will be of immense importance to both countries considering their shared cultural heritage.

There are no additional financial implications of the MoU, however, financial resources necessary to conduct research, training courses, conferences and meetings will be met from the existing allocated budget and existing plan schemes of the Department of Ayush, the release said.

The total exports of Ayush products from India in 2012-13 was Rs.2167.57 crore. India’s exports of herbal and Ayush products in 2013-14 to Bangladesh were Rs. 31.85 crore.

The Department of Ayush as a part of its mandate to propagate the Indian systems of medicine globally has taken effective steps by entering into MoUs with the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine (SATCM), China (the MoU has since expired), Malaysia, Trinidad and Tobago and Hungary for cooperation in traditional medicine. MoUs are proposed to be signed with Serbia and Nepal for which the Cabinet has given its approvals. Consequently, the Ministers of Health, Government of Serbia and Government of Nepal have been invited to visit India for signing of the MoUs.